More Crockery

Here's more crockery from the "Rose Room." All of it is cream-colored china with dark red patterns all over it. When I first stayed in the Rose Room the hosts had a whole tea set of that material on the cupboard top but it was chipped and cracked and probably fell apart or got smashed since I haven't seen it recently. The guests at the inn are all well-behaved but you never know what can happen. Crockery arranged in a "still life" is a classic art thing but it is missing an essential element, that is fruits and vegetables. I've painted pictures of those things, too. Cezanne got good mileage out of apples and peaches along with the crock and crumpled-up fabric but if I depicted that subject more than once the boredom factor would be high and I'd have to add a bottle of wine to the still life to make it lively life.

5 more posts till # 3000!

Black tech pen ink on sketchbook page, about 4" x 3", August 28, 2017.

Crockery

I've returned from my short vacation with friends in Central Virginia. The bed 'n' breakfast that I frequent is decorated in Victorian style, with lots of flowery printed fabric and wooden floors. Every room has a theme and color, and the rooms are accented with antiques, like this pitcher and bowl. Back in those days, people washed up with the pitcher of water and the bowl, but thankfully now the rooms are equipped with baths like modern hotel rooms. I stayed in two different rooms, the "Blue Willow" room and the "Rose Room." As an artist I must dutifully depict crockery now and then. This set was rose-red ornamentation on off-white china. 

Blogging resumes now with Post Number 3,000 soon to come! 

Original drawing in black and brown tech pen and marker ink, about 2" x 3", August 29, 2017.

Language Learning Spell

What do you do if you have to get an Elven Craftsman to do some important work for you but neither of you know each other's language? You pay, or roll the dice for, a spell that will give you understanding of what is being said. The understanding lasts as long as it is needed to complete the project, at which point you will have to do some real learning of grammar and spelling.

From a game illustration I did for the long-gone "Gamelords" role-players. Black ink on illustration board, 5" x 6", spring 1984.

No blogging here for a few days while I take a short vacation.

Unfold and sit down

As you know from my winery artwork, I like to work on-site right in front of what I'm drawing. I've done countless sketches of buildings or construction machinery or other things which are outdoors. And most of the time I need something to sit on so I can hold my sketchbook to draw on. I've never been good at just holding a sketchbook in my hand and drawing while standing up. So I have had and used a succession of camping stools light and convenient enough to place where I can sit, and see my subject. Otherwise I am stuck with sitting on  whatever is in the environment like a stairway or some other unsavory surface. I had a tiny lightweight camp seat in Rome when I drew the images you've seen here, but I had to abandon it when I left. In America I've used fold-open metal frames with a fraying nylon seat, or a little tripod from a travel supply company, or L.L. Bean's heavy wooden Adirondack, which I still use indoors. I even had a portfolio with wheels and a fold-down seat, which was a great idea until I sat on it for any length of time, which was unduly painful.

So when I saw this contraption in the delightful J.Peterman catalogue, which deserves a post of its very own, I saw the glory of the camp stool brought to its British greatness. After all, J. Peterman says that Prince Charles himself uses this chair when he is painting watercolors outdoors. So I paid the king's ransom for the "Out 'n' About" travel chair, depicted above in a partially unfolded state. And...how is it? I feel royally comforted sitting in this throne, and my artistic butt so far approves of the tough canvas seat. I haven't brought it outdoors yet, since I just got it. Sketch trials will follow. 

In a pleasant surprise, this item was NOT made in China. It is said to be made in the U.K. This is not one of those dinky fold-out chairs with a cup holder and the logo of your favorite football team. This is English gentleman equipment. You can fold it up into a cylinder with handles at the top and use it as a brace or a cane. Or you can carry it like a photographer's tripod, though I wonder whether people who see it rolled up might think it's a weapon.

Drawing of chair is black tech pen on sketchbook page, 4 1/2" x 6", August 22, 2017.

Alien Eclipse

My records show that I blogged this image some years ago, but I can't find it on the blog post entry list so here it is again. This is from the era when I was still doing Geometrika with paint. Here are my favorite blues and purple, with a swath of space adding depth. In keeping with the eclipse theme, the shadow moon form crosses into the metallic gold sun. The little red square with beady eyes is an alien being observing the eclipse. I wanted to know just how simple a design could be and still convey the idea of a life form. Two beady eyes will make just a bright square look alive. 

I saw the eclipse or rather its effects while I was getting routine dental work done. During the darkest of our partial eclipse shadow all of us in the dentist's office ran out to see the world turn an unnatural blue, though the sun was covered by clouds. In a moment when the clouds thinned we could see the half-Sun. Then the big puffy cumulonimbus clouds returned and drenched the town to our east, though no rain fell at the office. But my teeth are now fresh and shiny.

"Alien Eclipse" is 7" x 10", acrylic on illustration board, October 2009.

Altar of Evil

This imagery panel is from the game I illustrated for Mayfair Games way back when, "The Evil Ruins." It depicts a Satanic altar in a ceremony, one of the evil things hidden in the ruins. A priest whose hands are dipped in blood gives a curse to whoever draws near the demonic site. Two black-armored knights with greatswords guard the proceedings. They don't make game illustrations like this any more.

Black ink on illustration board, 3" x 10", spring 1983.

Return to Casanel Vineyards

"Wine Saturday" brought us back to Casanel Vineyards near Leesburg, VA. I have been here many times enjoying the wine and hospitality of the DeSouza family. Over the years I have seen the site and its buildings transformed from an old farm compound with rustic atmosphere to a beautiful resort-style establishment featuring a selection of varieties created by Katie DeSouza, daughter of the family patriarch Nelson. This stone edifice is one of the original buildings on the site, a historic 19th century house which was used as the tasting room before the transformation to a newly built wine palace. The stone house now has wine barrels stored in it. Note the elevated walkway through the trees, which leads to a deck where I sat to sip and draw. Nelson runs a building company and he built the whole complex for the enjoyment of his winery visitors.

Marker ink and colored pencil on sketchbook page, 8" x 10", August 19-20, 2017.